Latch for double doors.



.l. T. SENG.

LATCH FOR DQUBLE DOORS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11. 1915.

mmempr. 23, 1918.

INVENTOR. WITNESSES- v Zia-5f and,

ATTORNEY.

nnrrnn snares PATENT orribn JULIUS T. SENG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE COMPANY, A CORPO- RATION OF ILLINOIS.

LATCH FOR DOUBLE DOORS.

Application filed November 17, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Jumps T. SENG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Latch for Double Doors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in latches for double-door structures, for instance, kitchen-cabinets, wardrobes, and in fact, any structure wherein it is necessary to provide some means for looking or latching one of the doors preparatory to closing and looking or otherwise securing the companion door thereto, although, as will here- 7 inafter appear, the invention is principally intended for use in connection with kitchencabinets. v

Heretofore, in structures of this kind, it has been customary to employ some hand operated device, such, for instance, as a bolt, hook, or spring-latch, the same being applied to one of the doors and engaging some convenient companion device on the adjacent part of the structure. Such arrangements required hand operation to release these parts in opening the door, and where the means employed were other than spring actuated, the hand operation was also neces sary in looking said door. It was also usual in many instances, by reason of the nature of the locking-device, to employ a vertical strip to which the companion member of the locking-device was attached.

The objects of my invention are to produce a very simple and inexpensive locking device to be applied to that door of any double-door structure which is adapted to be the first one closed, the said device in the present instance being entirely automatic in its operation; that is to say, is adapted to automatically latch said door when the second door is closed and locked, and release and partly open both doors when the second door is unlocked.

l/Vith these principal objects in view, the invention consists, particularly, in a gravitylatch mounted in any convenient manner and at a suitable point upon that one of any double-door structure designed to be closed first, and so positioned with relation to the companion door that the latter when closed, will operate to raise said latch and cause the hooked inner end of the same to engage and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 191%.

Serial No. 61,862.

compress a spring-metal keeper within the structure, whereby when the last mentioned door is locked to the first mentioned door both doors will be held closed, and whereby when the doors are unlocked they will be sprung partly open, as hereinafter specified and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in vertical section of sufiicient of a double-door structure, such for instance, as a kitchencabinet or wardrobe, for the purpose of illustrating the application of my invention, in this instance, the door that is first closed being shown in its closed position and unlatched.

Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the door first closed as latched and as if the second door had been closed, the said second door being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal. sectional view throughFig. 2 on the line 33, the second door being supplied.

F 4 is a detail hereinafter referred to.

Similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures of the drawmg.

For the purpose of illustrating the application of the invention I have shown in the drawing fragments of what may be a kitchen-cabinet, wardrobe, or other similar structure and wherein are employed doubledoors. 1 designates what may be a shelf or the top of a structure such as I have mentioned; 2 indicates that ,door of such structure which is adapted to be closed first; and the door of such structure which is to be closed last, the latter therefore having as usual some character of bead 4, adapted to overlap a corresponding groove or recess in the meeting edge of the companion door 2. The door 3 may be provided with an ordinary lock or bolt, or the door 2 with a turn-button, such devices be ing considered as equivalents in the pres ent instance. Herein I have shown a turnbutton 6 applied to the door 2 and held in position by a screw 7, (see Fig.

In order to conveniently suspend the here inafter described. gravity-latch upon the door 2, I prefer to employ a securing plate 8 the same having angularly disposed flange 9 at one end from which there is a projecting stop-lug 10. The securing plate 8 is perforated at suitable points to receive screws 11, whereby the plate and latch carried thereby are secured against the inner face of the door 2 at the'free edge thereof.

Pivoted as at 12, by means of a rivet passing through the same and the flange 9 of the plate 8, is a substantially rightangularly shaped gravity-latch. 13.. Thls latch,-as will be seen, extends transverse the free edge of the door 2 and therefore into the path of and adapted to be struck by the companion door 3, when: the lattei is closed and subsequent to a closing. of the door 2. For this-purpose, and to prevent undue marringof thedoor 3 the latch 13 may be provided with flange or striker let. The inner end of the latch, which is the heavier of the two, and therefore, normally depressed or dropped is supported or limited in its downward tendency by the before-mentioned lug 10of .the plate 9. This inner end of the latch, and in rear of the lug lOof the plate 8 maybe formed with any style or design of engaging-shoulder or hook 15, in accordance with the nature 1 or form of catch or keeper with which it is to cooperate. In the present instance the catch or keeper 16, consists of a plateof spring metal, and curved downwardly toward itsv free end, terminating in a lug 17. This catch is secured in position by screws 18 to the portion of the structure herein designated as 1, independently of the doors,

but ,;in line with the latch 15, carried by one of the aforesaid doors." 1'

Takingthe parts in the position they occupy in Fig. 1,. and wherein the door carrying the latch is closed-but unlocked or latched, it Will be seen that the second door 3-,. approachingiwill, at its inner side, contactwith the. outer flanged end or tail of the; latch, thereby forcing, it to the position shown in Fig. '2, and wherein it'will beseen the hook 15. of the latch has been elevated into engaging position with the lug -17 of the catch, the latterbeing then forced upward, against its spring tendency untilit rests. against; the underside of the part 1 of the, structure. The turn button 6 now being operated to lock the door 3 it will be seen-that both doors are held securely,

copies of this patent may be obtained for and the pressure of the spring-catch against the latch will place the doors under tension, thereby preventing any looseness what ever. To disconnect both doors it is now only necessary to unlock or release the door 3 whereupon the action of the spring catch 16 will operate to automatically partly open both doors, the latch by gravity maintaining the posltion shown in Fig. 1, out of operative connection with the catch.

The springcatch employed will, of course, in resuming its position serve to facilitate the dropping of the latch and its disconnection from the catch and will also tend. to partly open the doors.

In large structures such as wardrobes or double-door cabinets, that is, where doors of considerable height are employed and it is desirable to have them fastened or latched at both the top and the bottom. such may be accomplished by employing two latches, such as I have described: the lower latch, of course, being inverted and requiring but very little if any modification from that described.

Having described my invention. what 1 claim, is:

In combination with a cabinet having hinged double doors, of a gravity-latch pivoted at the inner meeting edge of one of the-doors so that its hook-end will overbalance its tail-end to position the latter in the path of the meeting edge of the other door, a flat spring-plate attached at one end' to a stationary part ofthe cabinet and having its projecting free endportion bent downwardlyaway from said stationary part and terminating in a lug at its underside disposed in the path of the hook-end of the gravity-latch to place the free end por tion of said spring-plateunder tension when the hook-end of said latch engages therewith on closing the doors, and means for locking the doors closed against the tension of thespring-plate.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JULIUS T. sane. Witnesses F. H. ELWERT,

MAE CUMMINGS.

ng the Commissioner of Patents, 

